


The Tale of Ori The Spirit of Nibel

by ShadowFantasy



Category: Ori and the Blind Forest
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Death, F/M, Fanfiction, Hurt/Comfort, Incomplete, POV First Person, Spirits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24317926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowFantasy/pseuds/ShadowFantasy
Summary: The young spirit Ori was prematurely separated from the Spirit Tree. These unexpected turn of events creates challenges in his early life. Luckily he has Naru to guide him and keep him safe. At least, for as long as she is able to. The rapid decay of Nibel forces Ori away from home, into the unknown woods where monsters watch and wait.
Relationships: Ori/Leru (Ori and the Blind Forest)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	1. Lost in the Storm

**_We'll all remember the night._** **_When I lost Ori to the great storm._**

I was losing my grip, something was pulling me away into the unknown. Scared of what lies far below, I clung tighter to his branches, but my strength faltered and my sight disappeared. All I could feel is the cold and the wind. I wanted to cry out for help, but I had no voice.

I was settled on some cold surface, it was rough and grainy, it was like home. Comfortable with this new spot, I fell into instinct and changed. Changed into a form more suitable for holding on to this new world. I grew and took a new shape. However, my peace did not remain. Something was getting close. I could feel, I could hear, I could not see, I could not move. A fearful sound escaped my body as I quivered helplessly.

Something embraced me, pulling me up from the surface I had been holding on to. It did not hurt, it did not scare. It was warm, it was nice. “It’s alright now little one,” it said. “Naru will take care of you now.” The voice was soothing and calming. My new body relaxed and snuggled up into the motherly warmth.

~~~

I woke from my dark sleep, my sight returning to me, but it was unclear and fuzzy. “Naaauuu,” I called out, I pushed myself on to two legs, they were shaky. “Naaauuu.” My voice felt weird coming out of me, I tried to walk, but the ground disappeared out from under me when I made my first step. I let out a fearful cry before landing in a familiar warm embrace.

“That was close, watch out for the drop, it’s a little bit high for you,” the voice lectured. I looked up and saw a very blurry and fuzzy figure. I could make out the blue body and a white face. It was very big.

“Naaauuu?” I asked, holding on to the creature.

“Yes, child?” The creature asked with a soft chuckle at my mispronunciation of her name. I wanted to ask where I was, but my voice knew no words. My throat was dry and my belly was empty.

I opened my mouth and closed it several times, hoping she would understand. However, my requests were met with a chuckle. “You are a funny one… let’s get you something to eat, I suppose we should call you something.”

A name, the Spirit Tree gave us all names… but I don’t remember my own. The creature carried me out into a bright light that nearly blinded me. I covered my eyes and hid from the light of the skies. It was called the sun, at least, that’s what the spirit tree taught us. It was very bright, brighter than the tree himself. It felt warm too.

Something pressed against the entrance to my mouth. Instinctively I opened my mouth around a fuzzy round object. It was soft and filled my mouth with something when I bit down on it. The new sensation startled me. It tingled in my mouth. It was sweet and juicy, I discovered taste… It had very good taste. I kept eating the substance. The corners of my mouth curved up into an unfamiliar expression of joy. I felt peace wash over me as I relaxed into the warmth of my new guardian.

Home


	2. Hope

**_We'll all remember the night._** **_When I lost Ori to the great storm._**

I was losing my grip, something was pulling me away into the unknown. Scared of what lies far below, I clung tighter to his branches, but my strength faltered and my sight disappeared. All I could feel is the cold and the wind. I wanted to cry out for help, but I had no voice.

I was settled on some cold surface, it was rough and grainy, it was like home. Comfortable with this new spot, I fell into instinct and changed. Changed into a form more suitable for holding on to this new world. I grew and took a new shape. However, my peace did not remain. Something was getting close. I could feel, I could hear, I could not see, I could not move. A fearful sound escaped my body as I quivered helplessly.

Something embraced me, pulling me up from the surface I had been holding on to. It did not hurt, it did not scare. It was warm, it was nice. “It’s alright now little one,” it said. “Naru will take care of you now.” The voice was soothing and calming. My new body relaxed and snuggled up into the motherly warmth.

* * *

I woke from my dark sleep, my sight returning to me, but it was unclear and fuzzy. “Naaauuu,” I called out, I pushed myself on to two legs, they were shaky. “Naaauuu.” My voice felt weird coming out of me, I tried to walk, but the ground disappeared out from under me when I made my first step. I let out a fearful cry before landing in a familiar warm embrace.

“That was close, watch out for the drop, it’s a little bit high for you,” the voice lectured. I looked up and saw a very blurry and fuzzy figure. I could make out the blue body and a white face. It was very big.

“Naaauuu?” I asked, holding on to the creature.

“Yes, child?” The creature asked with a soft chuckle at my mispronunciation of her name. I wanted to ask where I was, but my voice knew no words. My throat was dry and my belly was empty.

I opened my mouth and closed it several times, hoping she would understand. However, my requests were met with a chuckle. “You are a funny one… let’s get you something to eat, I suppose we should call you something.”

A name, the Spirit Tree gave us all names… but I don’t remember my own. The creature carried me out into a bright light that nearly blinded me. I covered my eyes and hid from the light of the skies. It was called the sun, at least, that’s what the spirit tree taught us. It was very bright, brighter than the tree himself. It felt warm too.

Something pressed against the entrance to my mouth. Instinctively I opened my mouth around a fuzzy round object. It was soft and filled my mouth with something when I bit down on it. The new sensation startled me. It tingled in my mouth. It was sweet and juicy, I discovered taste… It had very good taste. I kept eating the substance. The corners of my mouth curved up into an unfamiliar expression of joy. I felt peace wash over me as I relaxed into the warmth of my new guardian.

Home


	3. Searching for my Light

There was a tree that towered over all others. A light shone brightly from the center of its branches. Part of me believed it was the Spirit Tree, though I wasn’t sure since I haven’t ever seen what the Spirit Tree looked like aside from what Sein would show us, which was not a lot considering that if Sein were to leave the Spirit Tree, everything would be thrown off balance. Perhaps that light was Sein, shining as brightly as ever from the top of the Spirit Tree.

Every night since I was found by Naru I would have these strange dreams of the Spirit Tree glowing brightly, sending out long wisps of light that seemed to be searching for something. It was both beautiful but oddly eerie at the same time. A name would be called out by the Spirit Tree. but I didn’t know who the name belonged to. The dream would sometimes end in a horrible nightmare with a giant monster destroying the light and then grabbing me in its talons.

I would wake up from these dreams trembling and suffocating on my own panic, but Naru would be there to hold me close and remind me it was a dream. She would hum a lullaby for me to sleep to or tell stories of the friends she had when she was younger and how they always got in trouble with her disapproving father. Whenever I asked her about why her father didn’t want her to associate with other spirits, she would always dodge the question and say it was for another time and I should try and get some more rest.

I wondered if it had something to do with the Spirit Tree.

* * *

It has been fourteen days since Naru adopted me into her life and as time went on, I began to get an odd feeling of being watched. It would send shivers down my body. I knew Naru was looking after me almost every day but there was something else. I never paid attention to it other than a brief glance around me until one day. I heard what sounded like a hiss. Naru was back in the cave so I knew it wasn’t her. It was coming from beyond the small peach orchard and in the woods. “H-hello?” I called out, but there was no response.

I began to walk towards the woods where the trees became denser. When I didn’t hear anything else I began to turn away to return back to where I felt safer.

“Pssst.”

There it was again, it was louder this time. I turned back around facing the woods. My heart was pounding, Naru told me I should not go into the woods alone, so I have been afraid of it ever since. My curiosity had also become stronger. There were so many questions that Naru would not answer, I wanted to find out at least one by myself. What was that sound?

I took a few more steps towards the thickening trees, my ears were swiveling and twitching in all directions, trying to pick up on any sounds. I heard the tree leaves above me rustle suddenly. There was a white blur that fell from the trees, I didn’t even get a chance to react when it grabbed my wrist and quickly pulled me deeper into the woods. I was hit in the face by several small branches, not allowing me to speak or view whatever was dragging me.

I reached out and grabbed one of the branches and planted my hoves into the ground to try and stop. I the arm I was being pulled by was yanked quite forcefully, I swear it was gonna be pulled right off. My stopping caused whatever was pulling me to be yanked back, however at the same time my grip on the branch was pulled right off, resulting in a head-on collision. All I remember was seeing two black eyes with white pupils staring into mine before I blacked out.


	4. True Home

**_I called out to Ori_ **

My eyes opened into a squint, my head throbbed in pain. I turned my head slowly to the right and then turned it the left, taking in my new surroundings. I was near some sort of pond surrounded by the dense trees. It was filled with crystal clear water and had a few colorful aquatic creatures swimming around. I rolled over so I was closer to the water, I dipped both hands into the water and formed a cup shape. I then brought the fluid up to my mouth and drank, soothing my parched throat.

I pushed myself onto my hooves once my head stopped spinning and tried to look for any familiar signs for home, but I did not recognize the local features of the land. The trees were massive, hundreds of times bigger than that of the peach trees I had grown accustomed to. I created a funnel shape with my hands and shouted through it. “Naru!” I called out, but I was only met with an echo. “Naru!” I called out again, louder this time. Still, there was no response.

Then I heard something, more rustling coming from the shrubbery. “Naru?” However, what I hoped to be Naru was instead something entirely different. A creature hoofed creature on two legs hopped out of the shrubbery. It had long fur that glowed like mine. It seemed to be carrying and arm full of round purplish-blue objects. It stopped in its tracks and looked at me with lavender tinted white pupils.

Its ears and long antenna-like features on its head twitched ever so slightly. She let out a short gasp before her shocked expression became one of joy and excitement. “You’re awake! You’re awake!” She shouted as she bounded towards me, dropping the objects from her arms. I wasn’t able to retreat far enough before I was put her in her arms. I was lifted into the air with each of her hops.

“Thank Sein you’re awake, I was afraid you wouldn’t wake up for a long time.” She finally like go of me, allowing me to regain my breath after her crushing embrace.

“Who? What are you?”

“Oh right, sorry. My name is Leru and I am Forest Spirit like you.”

“L-like me?”

“Yeah, now come on Ori. We need to get you back to the Spirit Tree.” She grabbed my hand but I pulled away.

“Ori? You called me Ori. I-is that who I am?” She stopped and stared at me for a moment. Her eyes softened slightly.

“You don’t know do you.” I only responded with a confused expression. She went and sat down on one of the rocks near the pond. “You were lost to the storm nearly a month ago, swept away in the winds. Ever since that day the spirit tree had been scouring Nibel through us, searching for you. We didn’t expect you this far out. Everyone was beginning to think that you had perished, everyone except for the Spirit Tree that is. If the Spirit Tree thought you were still alive I continued the search.”

I knew the Spirit Tree cared for us, but I didn’t think he would send someone to search for me. “Does he know you found me?”

“No, that’s why we need to go see him.” She grabbed my hand again but I resisted and back away.

“Ori, what’s wrong?”

“I… I can’t go back… not yet.”

“Why not? The Spirit Tree is waiting for your return home.”

“I have a home. With Naru. With the peach trees. I-I can’t leave that behind,” I told her. She opened her mouth briefly to argue but closed it again. There was a flash of empathy in her eyes.

“You care for that home more?” The question lingered in my head. I don’t remember much anymore about my life with the Spirit Tree when I was merely a leaf. As the distance between us was kept over time, my memories began to fade as did the connection to the Spirit Tree. They replaced with the memories I made and in my new home and the bond, I formed with Naru. I nodded slowly.

She let out a disappointed sigh. “Alright, if that’s truly what you feel I will return you back home.” She grabbed my hand again, this time I didn’t refuse as she led me back through the thick forest to my home.


	5. Blind

Yet hope never came…

Leru guided me back through the woods, as we walked, I began to find the beauty in what I once thought was a treacherous nightmare. Even the darkest parts of the forest there were flowers and mushrooms that bloomed with vibrant and colorful light. Whilst I spun around in awe, taking in all details of the forest, Leru didn’t appear to have even acknowledged it.  
The expression upon her face showed signs of guilt and worry. Perhaps she was afraid of what might happen without me returning to the Spirit Tree. Was my presence really that important to the Spirit Tree? When I recall my faded memories of the Spirit Tree I remember me being one among thousands.  
My ears perked up at the sound of Naru’s voice, calling out for me. I felt a gentle tug on my wrist forcing me to face Leru one last time. “I suppose this is where we part. If you are ever looking for help or just a friend to talk to, look towards the Gino Tree, I mainly live near the caverns of the Moon Grotto.”  
She reached into a small green pouch on her waist and pulled out an oddly shaped stone with markings carved out in it. “This should help you gain access to certain areas of Nibel if you ever decide to explore outside of your home.” She put the stone into my hands  
“Thank you. Maybe you could come with me and visit our home. We have really good fruits growing” I suggested, Leru smiled but shook her head.  
“Thank you for the offer, but I should return to the Spirit Tree and inform him that I couldn’t find you. Otherwise, he might send more spirits to try and pressure you into returning.”  
“Okay, thanks again.” I started to climb back up the hill towards the sound of Naru’s voice, looking back only briefly to see that the spirit had already left. I stared at the spot where she had just been standing. Asking if I had made the right decision. Hearing Naru call for me again pulled me out of my thoughts and into her embrace. I emerged from the woods to see her bent over looking under turned over baskets. “Naru!”  
Upon hearing me call out her name she turned over to me and knelt down, holding her open for me. I eagerly ran into her arms as she folded me into her motherly embrace. “You worried me so much. Where were you?” You asked, checking to see if I had been injured in any way.  
“I went into the forest.”  
“The forest! It’s dangerous in there. You shouldn’t go in there alone.”  
“I wasn’t alone, I had a friend.” Naru gave me a puzzled look. “She said my name is Ori.”  
“Ori…”  
“She wanted to take me to the Spirit Tree, but, I didn’t want to leave you here. I don’t know what I should do. The Spirit Tree is where I came from, but, you have taken care of me for so long, I don’t know where home is anymore.”  
“Ori, my child.” Naru rubbed comforting circles on my back. “Home is where you choose it to be. I will always welcome you here no matter where you decide to go.”  
“I… I want to stay here, with you.”  
“Then with me, you shall stay. Just let me know the next time you go running off.”  
“I will Naru. I’m sorry for making you worry.” With that, there was silence between us. It was a comforting silence where there was no more that needed to be said. The trees shuttered in the evening winds. The sky was an array of blues and reds as the sun began to fall behind sorrows peak.  
Naru’s embrace was warm and protective. I kept me safe. It kept me blind to the consequences of my decision.


	6. Fruits of Decay

It has been two months since my first encounter with Leru. Since then she’d pop by and watch over me through the trees once every 7 days for 35 days. I pretended not to notice as to not draw attention to her, however, I started to leave a small collection of fruit in a small woven basket that Naru had taught me to make. I suppose Leru assumed that she had been undetectable until then because she did a lot of looking back and forth between the basket and myself the first time she received them.

It was her 5th visit that things started to change. “It’s been a while hasn’t it.” I stiffed up and momentarily left the ground when I heard her voice. She giggled softly at my surprise.

“Leru! Did you finally decide to stop by to meet Naru?”

“Not this time, sorry.” Leru sat infront of the pond and dangled her legs off into the water. “The spirit tree is still searching for you,” she lamented. “It hurts knowing that he won’t give up until every single spirit is accounted for and that I have the ability to let him know you are here.”

“Oh…” I sat down beside her and stared down at my own shimmering reflection.

“Will you go to him?” She pleaded.

“I… I don’t think I can. At least not now.” I couldn’t face her directly after uttering those words, but her reflection in the water showed her disappointment in my response.

“Can you tell me when then? When will you be ready?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ori, please.”

“I said I don’t know!” My voice rose momentarily before I let out a sigh.

I could see Leru’s hands shaking out of the corner of my eye. Why didn’t I know? Why was it so hard for me to just go and visit the Spirit Tree? Perhaps I was afraid that if I left I wouldn’t be able to return here. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to see Naru again.

“Fine, but when you do figure it out. You know where to find me.” I could taste the bitterness in her voice. I listened as she left me to my thoughts. Her abrupt leave obscuring our reflections.

After that, I didn’t see her again. Every night I stayed up and watched the spirit tree as the light nestled in his branches shone brightly like the stars in the sky, and every night Naru would join me, hugged me close to her. There was one night however that I would never forget. After hours of harvest, we began to make our way back to the cave when I a huge light that enveloped the sky in long tendrils of light like a raging fire. I began to lose control over my movements. The basket in my arms dropped to the ground, spilling peaches into the grass. Only when Naru pulled me into the cave did I regain my senses.

“Naru? What’s going on? What was that?” I asked. Several questions began filling my head.

“It’ll be alright Ori,” she forced a smile onto her face and laid down with her body propped up against the wall. She set me down gently on top of her and rubbed her hands from the top of my hand to the base of my tail. There was something she wasn’t comfortable telling me. I could feel the fear coming off of her, the fear hidden behind the forced smile on her mask-like face.

I watched the cave entrance as the tendrils of light reached passed us, some of them entered the cave but only explored so far. I could hear voices coming from the ghostly light. It taunted me to go closer, but Naru’s embrace kept me close. Eventually, the light faded and vanished, as did seemingly all life outside of the cave.

When morning came it was still dark. The clouds were hazy and gray. Trees were bare and the fruit was shriveled and discolored. The leaves withered like ash and the water was murky and reeked of decay. The Spirit Tree no longer glowed. The light resting in his branches was gone. “Naru?”

“Ori, go back to the cave. I-I’ll join you in a moment.” I nodded and slowly went back to the cave, watching as she placed her hand on the trunk of our first peach tree. The hope draining from her face as she stared at its bare branches. I sat down and curled up on my little ledge. Was it my fault that everything had fallen apart? If I had listened to Leru would none of this have ever happened?

I didn’t even notice Naru’s return until she put her arms around me and wiped away the tears that welled up my eyes. “It’s okay Ori. I’m here, I will be here to protect you.” But it wasn’t me I was worried about. It was everything else. I appreciated that she was trying to comfort me in the only way she knew how, but right now, I just wanted to think. I wanted to disappear. I felt like I was being pulled apart, the only thing that held me together was my physical form.

“I’m sorry.” My body started shaking and my cheeks began soaked with my own tears. “I’m sorry.” My voice fell silent and I started sobbing. Naru only pulled me closer.

“It’s not your fault little one. You couldn’t have known.” She whispered and stroked her hand down my back. “I kept you here.” I don’t believe I was meant to hear that. It was so quiet that I almost didn’t catch it.


	7. Last Breaths

The forest the ever-persistent clouds forever hid the time of day and the positions of the stars. The sky was gray in the day, crimson in the evenings and black at night. I watched, hoping to see just one ray of light, just one sparkle in the sky. Just one, to let me know that all is not lost, but it never came. The Spirit Tree remained dormant for what felt like months. “Will the light ever come back Naru?” I turned my head to her. She smiled sadly.

“It will, the clouds will part, the sun will bask us in its light. The waters will flow pure once more, and the wind will blow away the ashes.” I could see in her eyes that she was on the brink of giving up. Despite this, her words were comforting. So I accepted them whether they be true, or wishful thinking. It didn’t matter to me because at least it gave me a reason to keep going.

“Then we can eat as many fruits as we want again,” I added, earning a genuine laugh from Naru.

“Indeed.”

I could feel the cool water flowing around my hooves. I could taste the refreshing sweetness of newly picked plums and peaches. I could feel the warmth of the sun shining down on me and the exhilarating wind sweeping loose leaves past me. Forgetting all about the dismal reality. Naru beckoned me inside so I could rest. The temporary bliss faded when I saw that our food supply was fragments of what it once was. The floor was littered with the seeds of peaches and plums. They crunched loudly underneath my hooves.

I felt an audible sigh come from Naru. She slumped down and rested her head against the wall. I looked around for a fruit that was still edible and not covered in mold. Among the grass and pines that softened the floor was a single only slightly bruised peach. I dropped to one knee and dug it out of the grass. My stomach hurt but seeing Naru so weak hurt more. I turned to her and offered the fruit that appeared so much smaller in her hands. She must have detected the hesitance and shook her head. “You have it little one. I will be fine.”

Why? She’s hungry and weak. Why won’t she take it? I tried to give it to her again, but she still refused. I could feel my conviction falter before I brought the fruit closer to myself. Guilt emanated from my very being. Naru rubbed my head gently. “It’s okay little one. You are so kind, caring, and sweet.”

I hesitantly bit into the peach, bit into the peach, but rather than being graced by the sweet yet slightly tart flavor. It tasted like bitter iron. I could feel her hunger digging at me. How could she bear it? I couldn’t stop myself. I took another bit and another, feeling more and more of her pain. Why? Why did she do this herself? I tried to find the truth, but the peach was nothing but a seed.

I felt better, at least I wasn’t hungry anymore, but, I felt so very empty. Naru pulled me up into her embrace. “It’s okay. Ori, it’s okay.” She kissed the top of my head. “You’re too caring for your own good.”

“You raised me,” I muttered softly. I caught a glimpse of the proud smile that appeared on her face.

“So I did. You take after me too well.” She cupped my cheeks in her large gentle hands. “I will always love you Ori, no matter what happens. I will always love and care for you to the best of my ability.” She fell silent after that. I wish I took her words in more carefully. I wish I had told her I loved her too. I wish I was stronger so I could convince her to eat, but my voice choked up. Nothing would come out.

I rested my head against her warm body, humming to her heartbeat. The lullaby she first sang to me when we had barely met. Time seemed to slow down. At least that’s what I thought as the beating in her chest became slower and quieter.

Thump thump

Thump thump

Thump… Thump

Thump

Thump

Thump… 

Thump…

Silence

I didn’t dare move, I didn’t dare breathe. I didn’t dare to see. I didn’t dare hear. Her body was cold, I started to shiver. “N-naru.” I snuggled against her fur, but there was nothing there. “Naru?” I opened my eyes and stared into her face. Her eyes were closed. She didn’t breath, she didn’t even twitch. “Naru!” I pressed ears against her chest. Nothing. “Naru!” I cried, stepping off of her before pushing with all of his strength, trying to get her up. “Naru! Wake up!” My entire world was crumbling around me. I felt like I was suffocating. “Naru! Don’t leave me!” My eyes stung and my throat dried. “Naru! Naru!” Everything was fading to black. “Don’t die! Mom!” With a final cry of desperation, I fell to my knees.

The light in my life. The one thing that kept me going all of this time. Was gone. I didn’t even get to tell her how grateful I was for her. How much I loved her. Even during her dying breaths. I couldn’t utter 3 simple words. ‘I love you.’


	8. Survivors

The cold winds from the north sent chills down my body, but I didn’t care. I turned my head one last time, to the home I was leaving behind. The memories I had of better times turned from my sunny rays of comfort to a heavy reminder of what I had lost. The one time I got to see the moon’s glow through the clouds after so long, the person I care about isn’t here to enjoy its beauty.

After one last look at the painful reality, I sluggishly descended down the steep hillside. The woods were dark, the trees were far more desaturated than my last visit into the forest. The trees were a deep grey and the leaves were a much darker autumn brown. The only plants that seemed to be flourishing were varying sizes of mushrooms. Some of which glimmered with various light. On the more unwelcoming sight, so did large thickets of briar. Much like everything else in this forest, the sheer size made me feel so small, so fragile. I looked in both directions but it seemed to go on for miles as if trying to keep me out.

I could see a slightly bigger gap in the thorn littered branches. My legs ached from walking so far with no sign of the spirit tree. I didn’t know which way was right. I just wanted to get away, away from everything. Stared into the thorns. I took one step in, pulling my left hoof beside my right. I knew there was no going back at this point, no room to turn around.

I put one hand out, pushing against the knarled branches. The thorns dug into my hand. I took another step. The branches slashed at my arms. I took another step. The thorns tore at my legs. I took another step. All I could feel was agony. A cry escaped me, but I knew no one could hear my call. I tried to move, but my leg did budge. It was caught in the briar’s grasp. I pulled and yanked, but the only thing the gave was my other leg. I slipped and hit the rocky earth. There was a sickening crack before an immediate surge of torment overwhelmed me.

I felt like my leg had been engulfed in a white-hot flame. I felt sick to the stomach and my vision spun. I don’t know how long I screamed, I felt like sand was scraping against my throat. My vision fogged up and became a blur. I slowly pulled myself from the briar. It was cold. The wind blew over my blood-soaked fur. I dare not look down at my torn up legs, afraid of what I would see. My vision was swimming and there was a throbbing pain in my head. I could feel nothing but a num pain in my legs.

Dragged myself across the ground. The stones and pebbles scraped away at me. With each breath I could feel a little more of my strength slip from my body. I felt so tired and cold. All of the strength in my body vanished with a final breath. A deep crimson pooled around me. I didn’t even have the strength to breathe, or even blink. My vision was rapidly becoming darker and darker. Yet even when everything was gone, I could feel as if Naru was there, lifting me up in her arms, pulling me close. “I will take care of you, Ori.”

I reawoke to faint crackling that echoed around me. Something glowed from beyond my closed eyes. It was warm and welcoming, I tried to move, so I could reach the warmth, but the slightest twitch sent waves of pain through my body. “Just rest.” I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. “We will talk in the morning.”


	9. Unexpected Reunion

The night that I lost my grip, the night I was lost to the storm, I brought into a new life. A life with Naru. She was my caretaker, but she was also much more than that. She was my mother, she did everything to make sure I was happy. I gave me love and life in a world that banished me far away from my first home.

She became my new home, always welcoming me with unending motherly love and familial warmth. Then the light vanished from the forest and Nibel quickly fell into ruin. Naru suffered a pain I could not believe was possible to bear. She suffered and died to keep me alive. With a heavy heart and a crushed soul, I left Swallows Nest. Searching for the light, trying to find answers.

As I lay bleeding and bruised I thought all was lost. I thought that this was the end of the road. I failed to complete whatever my purpose had been. Just as the last strands of life slipped between my fingers, someone grabbed them and pushed them back into my hand. Refusing to let me leave the cold world behind. At first, I thought it was Naru’s parting soul that kept me alive, but when I woke in an unfamiliar cave, I concluded it was just wishful thinking.

I was cocooned in a warm fur blanket in front of a gentle fire. It was a mixture of various shades of blues, blacks, and greens. The crackles and pops of the fire echoed endlessly throughout the caves. I could smell the smoke from the fire and the faint traces of substances use to clean and treat the blanket I was wrapped in. There was also a rather pungent smell that I couldn’t quite identify the source of until I examined my arm. It was wrapped in a large fuzzy leaf that stuck to me with some sort of adhesive. Whatever it was It did not smell great. I choked at the strong scent and pulled my arm away from my face, but the scent was still quite strong.

I started to remove the blankets from my body, but it was difficult to move my right leg. It was as if something was holding it in place. As I uncovered myself I saw that the bandage on my arm was not the only thing on me. I had many, many bandages. My arms, shoulders, torso. my legs had the worst of it. One of them was being supported by two wooden planks on either side of them. I reached down to try and remove them, but the moment I made contact I felt immense pain resonate from somewhere in my leg. I let out a pained cry as my body started shaking in agony. I felt back, I felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore. I started gasping for air. I couldn't understand why nothing was entering my lungs. “Help!” I mouthed to no one, yet someone still came to my side.

“Slow down, listen to me, slow deep breath in,” she said. I did as told despite my inability to breath in. “Slow breath out.” She let out the breath she had been holding in her lungs as an example. I followed, releasing the breath that I had not even realized I had been holding. She continued this breath pattern until I matched it perfectly. My fear gradually ebbed away. The one who helped me made her appearance to some degree. She wore a cloak that covered every part of her body except for her face and hands, judging from the way she glowed, she was a spirit. I watched as she walked to some sort of wooden frame that contained various items on several individual shelves. There were many potted plants, one of which I recognized to be the origins of the leaves on my arm. There were also many wooden jars, each labeled with a unique symbol.

I watched as the mysterious spirit grabbed a pot that contained a very green bulbous plant whose base was twice the size of the peaches from home. She uprooted the plant and cleaned off the dirt. She used a stone knife to cut the stem off from the base and replanted the stem in the soil. The bulb she was left with had very thick leaves, requiring her to use her handmade knife again to pry it open. She pulled out three grape-sized nuts and put them inside of a stone bowl. She took three of the thick leaves and started crushing them with her hands over the bowl, spilling water into it.

She took a round stone and began crushing up the nuts thoroughly, forming a thick almost paste-like substance in texture. She came over to me and handed the bowl over to me. “Eat this. It will numb the pain and help you heal faster.”

“What is it?”

“Vitae graine. The nuts from these plants are known for their healing properties when ingested. The leaves are an excellent source of clean water when none is present,” she explained. I put the lip of the bowl to my mouth and tilted it up. I nearly spit it out after the first gulp. It was extremely bitter. I hacked and coughed after barely getting it down. Tears welled up in my eyes. I shuttered as the substances slid down my throat at a very slow pace. The spirit seemed rather pleased with my reaction, much to my dismay. “I can dilute it more if you would like,” she offered.

“Yes please,” I wheezed, still reeling back from the initial taste. I watched as she grabbed more of the remaining leaves before squeezed them, releasing more water into the bowl before mixing it up the substance, allowing it to thin out.

“This should be more tolerable.” She handed the bowl back to me and had me drink the substance again. I drank the lime green goo again, still flinching at the potent bitterness, but it was in fact tolerable now that smoothly flowed down rather than crawling down at snail-like speeds. “I’m glad you are okay Ori.” I nearly choked again upon hearing my name.

“You know me?”

“Of course. Do you not recognize me?” I continued to give her a puzzled stare.

“It’s a bit difficult to tell what you look like under the cloak,” I admitted.

“I suppose it has been a few months hasn’t it.” She unwrapped herself from the cloak and the sight took my breath away.

“Leru.” I felt my throat tighten up there were so many questions building up in my head I wasn’t sure which one to ask first. “Y-your okay! Where are we? What happened to the spirit tree? What happened to the forest? How are you able to grow anything?” My questions would have continued had she not placed her hand over my mouth the silence me.

“One question at a time Ori. For your first question, we are in my home, this is one of the few caves that lead in and out of the Moon Grotto. I brought you here after I found you bleeding to death several miles away from Swallows Nest. What were you doing all the way out here?”

“I was looking for the Spirit Tree, I was hoping to get some answers to what was happening, maybe some guidance as well,” I explained. Leru’s eyes shifted towards furth down the cave before sighing.

“The Spirit Tree has been dormant for quite some time now. I don’t think we will be getting any answers from him for a while. I wasn’t there when all of this happened so I am not too sure myself what became of Nibel and the remaining spirits. As far as I know, we are the only ones left. From what I have gathered, something happened to Sein. What about Naru? How’s she doing?” The question was like a stab to the chest.

“S-she’s… N-Naru…” Couldn’t stop stammering. Tears welled up in my ears, remembering how cold and lifeless she was. “I-I tried to help her… I wanted so badly to help her. S-she wouldn’t let me.”

“Oh Ori!” Leru put her arms around me and pulled me towards her. Gently enough as to not jostle my leg. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“I-it’s okay. You wouldn’t have known,” my voice was very hoarse. “It’s been eating away at me for so long. I don’t understand why she wouldn’t eat. She was so hungry. It was so painful. So why?”

“I wish I knew Ori. Typically spirits are raised by the Spirit Tree. There are so many of us that it is difficult for him to care for each one individually. So we often have to learn to fend for ourselves. I wouldn’t know what it is like to have a mother like yours. That’s something you will have to find out yourself.”

“I wish I knew.”

“If we knew all of the answers, there wouldn’t be much of a point to living would there?” I thought about her words before slowly nodding my head.

“I suppose not.” We sat in silence, she still held me propped up in her arms which much nice that laying on the stone floor, whether I be wrapped up in a blanket or not. My mind drifted back to the question of what happened to Nibel. “You said something may have happened to Sein?”

“The Spirit Tree is far too young for his time to have come, so the logical assumption is that something that is not very fond of us spirits stole it.”

“Maybe if we find Sein we can figure out what’s going on and how this all happened.”

“The forest is rather vast Ori.”

“Doesn’t mean we should at least tree.”

“I supposed you are right, but we aren’t going anywhere until you are healed, the last thing we need is for you to further your injuries, cause I am not carrying you all over Nibel.” I couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.

“Thank you for saving me Leru. I mean it.”

“Consider as an apology for never visiting you when you needed my help the most.


	10. Hunger

It didn’t matter how many times I ate the vitae saturated water, I could not get used to the bitter taste. It was extremely bitter, the taste didn’t go away after I finished either. My saliva would become thick and would carry taste for at least an hour. Leru assured me time and time again that my condition was improving quickly, so I continued to eat it. On occasion, she did provide me with something to help wash down the awful flavor.

“How did you figure out that vitae had healing properties?” I asked curiously as she flipped through what looked to be layers of bound bark that had been stripped off of trees. Bark tablets had some sort of writing in them using what I assumed was created from charcoal from the fire.

“Luck with a mixture of curiosity. I was taught by some of the spirits of the previous generation how to get water from the vitae leaves but never to eat the seeds. So what did I do? I ignored their warnings and stuck a hand full in my mouth.” I felt myself inadvertently gag at the thought. “Well, earlier that day I had actually injured myself falling out of a tree practicing my cloud steps. I bruised the whole left side of my body pretty badly. After eating the vitae nuts, not only did I lose at least three meals due to rather painful stomach issues, but the bruises I had were completely gone. Fascinated by this discovery I explore more hidden properties of plants and natural resources. However, many saw this as inappropriately self-destructive behavior and I was cast out here, a place where I could continue my study without being a  _ bad influence _ . I can see why they believed that. I had made myself very ill far more times than I could count.”

I hadn’t expected to receive a life story as an answer to my question, but it was a nice insight into her past.”There’s so much in this world that we don’t know Ori. I am not just talking about plants. Life is the most fascinating subject thing to ever exist. I’ve always wanted to know how everything started, I want to know why livings work the way they do. The reason those peaches you gave me tasted so good! The reason why Vitae tastes so awful yet has healing properties. The reason why without the Spirit Tree everything false into decay.”

There was a sparkle in her eyes as she continued deeper into her interests. She perhaps brought up at least a hundred questions before realizing that I was having a hard time keeping up. “S-sorry, I get a little carried away when talking about this kind of thing. I suppose my interests also allow me to perform some of the tasks of a healer. What about you Ori, do you have any special interests?” I had never thought about my own interests before. But when I really think about what I want to know, I was brought back to the same question I asked during Naru’s final moments.

“I want to know why someone would undergo so much pain and suffering for the life of someone else.”

“You mean Naru right?” She asked. I nodded slowly in confirmation. “I’ll let you know anything I find out then.” She closed her book and set it on the shelf that was made specifically for holding it. She walked over to me and knelt down in front of me. “I think it’s about time we remove those bandages. Your wounds should be nothing but cars reminding you of how foolish it was to try and climb through a briar patch.”

I looked away sheepishly, my face heating up from embarrassment. “I admit that was not one of my brightest moments.” I flinched back slightly when she touched the bandage covering my arm before relaxing. She was very gentle yet deliberate with her touch. She unwrapped one of the leaf coverings, the gooey adhesive looked like a web stretched between my arm at the face of the leaf. I still hadn’t gotten used to the smell. She continued to do this with all of the bandages, Carefully unwrapping until all that remained as the sticky residue.

“I’ll need you to stand up so I can clean off the tree sap.”

“That’s tree sap? The scent is terrible.”

“Well, it’s cionem sap mixed with a little salvole oil which is probably where the stench comes from. The oil keeps the sap from hardening, I could have just used the sap but I assumed you’d prefer not to have your fur ripped out when I removed your bandages.” She wrapped her arms around me and hoisted me up so I was balancing on one hoof. “Let me know if you get tired of standing on one leg and I’ll lay you back down okay?”

“Alright.” She had me steady myself against a wall as she grabbed a washcloth made of plant fibers and began to wipe off the oil-sap mixture. “What were the other spirits like. You were the only other one I had ever met.”

“Generally there were harvesters, hunters, explorers, and healers. Then there are those that are like me who don’t quite fit into either of the categories. Most spirits prefer food that comes from plants. There were those that do eat meat, but mainly the catches that hunters made were usually for fur and bone. Hunters also kept the younger spirits safe by defending them from predators such as the Howls. Harvesters grew various kinds of crops and the healers healed spirits that were injured. Explorers ventured out far distances and mapped all of Nibel and its secrets. Spirits had a wide variety of personalities, ranging from kind and loving to scheming and mischievous. A few were outright brutes.”

“Were you a healer?” I asked, seeing the sour expression on her face when she mentioned that last part.

“I suppose you could say that, though I considered myself more of an explorer, my spirit ability is more suited towards that class anyway.”

“You’ve mentioned this spirit ability a couple of times now. Is that the cloud step you were talking about? What is it?”

“Spirit abilities are special traits that few spirits are born with. Mine is called cloud step because I form a tiny cloud of spirit energy below me that is so concentrated it is momentarily solid. I can use it to basically walk on air. I’ve only gotten as far as two steps before needing a place to land. Not all spirit abilities require spirit energy; some can be physical differences such as a spirit having wings, but that is a very rare occurrence.”

“Do all spirits have unique abilities like that?” I asked hopefully. However, my hope was turned down when she shook her head. “A spirit is more likely to be born without a spirit ability than with one. Now it isn’t a rare occurrence for a spirit to be born with one, but it is usually under half the population. There are ways to figure out whether a spirit has one or not but for now we shouldn’t be testing whether or not you have one considering your condition.”

Leru finished taking care of my sap soaked fur and was about to lay me back down when a cold wind flooded the cave followed by a sound that sent chills down my body. Leru froze in place and looked down the tunnel.

*click*

*clack*

*click*

*clack*

The sound of claws tapping the stone floor. Heavy raspy breath mixed with a low, rumbling snarl. Leru kicked the wood in the fire, stomping out the flames. The cave was pitch black other than our faint light.

*click*

*clack

*click*

*clack*

The sounds got closer and the air got chillier. “What’s goi…” Before I could finish my sentence and covered my mouth with her hand and put a hushing finger to her sealed lips. She lowered me into a box built of wood glued by tree resin and held together by vines. It contained a few jars and books that pressed uncomfortably against my back.

“I’ll be back,” she whispered before shutting the lid. I did hear nor see her anymore. Only the guttural breathing that came closer and closer.

*click*

*clack*

*click*

*clack*

I could hear the hoarse rumbling from its throat as it growled.

*click*

*click*

*click*

*dhdhdhd*

*thud*

I could hear the logs of the previously lit fire roll towards my direction before hitting the crate I was in. My heart pounded in my ears, my lungs burned from holding my breath.

*click*

*clack*

*click*

Stop.

I slowly let out the air in my lungs before taking another breath. My eyes watered and my lungs burned. A foul odor flooded my senses. I felt as if my mouth was filled with blood. The smell of rot and exposed flesh made my stomach churn.

I could feel its warm moist breath through the lid of the box as it sniffed. There was a jarring shutter of the wood as the lid was briefly lifted and then shut. I thought it was trying to get in, but then it started to hear it’s breathing get farther away. My tensed body muscles began to relax and I let out a relieved sigh.

*BANG*

My world began spinning before coming to an abrupt stop on its side. The jars cracked at the box splintering. The motion rattled my body and sent lightning through my body. I had put my hands over my mouth to keep myself from screaming as the pain in my leg skyrocketed. Meanwhile, my heart was pounding so loud my ears rang. Through the splintered wood I could see the creature's hideous face. Two gleaming green eyes on either sound of its long snout. What I could only assume was flesh was dangling from between its teeth. The monster began digging and clawing at the wood. Pulling, snapping. The box's durability plummeted as it creaked and rattled.

There was a faint clattering that echoed deeper in the cave and everything went silent. The creature lowered itself from the box and began walking away.

*click*

*clack*

*click*

*clack*

Silence.


	11. Chapter 11: The Serpent King

I was still recoiling from the chills that made my fur stand on end. I not sure how long it has been dead quiet, but I knew it was far too long. I am almost certain it was Leru who lured the creature away before it realized that I was actually in the crate. As soon as my breathing returned to normal died I pushed open the lid of the crate.

It fell off with a clatter as the damaged hinges came apart. The noise made me flinch and I stared down at the long dark tunnel to see if the beast came back, but at the moment it seemed to be gone. I tried to stand up, but I wasn’t going to be getting anywhere with this splint in place.

The pain hasn’t been so bad as of recently so I could only hope that my leg had healed enough for me to use it. I undid the splint carefully, taking off the bandages and taking off the flat plank of wood which, unsurprisingly, was covered in the same sap mixture as all of the other bandages I was given. I didn’t have time to wash it off. Using Leru’s shelf of medicines I pulled myself up on to both legs carefully putting my formerly injured one down after the other.

It was very sore and began aching when I put my weight on it, but it was useable much to my relief. I took one very unbalanced hoof forward. It has been perhaps a few days since I last walked, despite that, I was able to recover quickly.

I did a few hops, bouncing from one leg to the other a few times to feel my limits. It hurt, especially with bigger jumps. If I stood too long on my injured leg it would cramp up and collapse, leaving me face first in the dark-gray, stone floor. I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling, the pain in my nose made me feel incredibly dizzy and it was hard to think.

My eyes drifted over to the remaining pots of vitae. My cheeks were wet and my lip quivered. I wouldn’t be here had Leru not found me and has not come back yet. The thoughts of that monster picking at her body make my throat burn and my mouth taste like acid.

I pushed myself on my hooves once again and looked down in the direction Leru had gone, It was almost pitch black, but I had to find her. Using my own dim light I began to walk quickly. My hooves echoed as I picked up the pace. The cave floor, however, came to an abrupt end. With my limited vision, I was not able to see the deep pit that I was plummeting down. Fear lodged itself in my throat, disallowing me to scream I cry out. I waved my arms about in the air, trying to grab onto anything I could not see.

Pain shot through my body before I was engulfed by a cold sludge. It burned, I felt as if my body was slowly being torn apart. My lungs began to burn. I moved my limbs about in a frenzy, trying to get up to the surface. Once I breached the surface of the poisoned water I sucked in as much as I could, but it was only brief before something bit down on my and pulled be back under. A gurgled cry came out of my mouth. I jerked and twisted about until I landed a solid kick to the head of whatever had bitten me.

Wasting no more time I swam to shore and pulled myself out. Burns covered my body and blood poured from my wounds. My body convulsed and I rolled onto all fours. My stomach lurched and I gagged until I began throwing up what amount of purple water had entered my body. My head spun and I was barely able enough to avoid falling into my own mess of vitae, sludge water, and stomach acid.

I was in the woods as I would discover once the world stopped spinning. The cave dropped me into a pool of water in the middle of nowhere next to a small mountain. I pushed myself onto my hooves and shivered as a cooling wind blew on the drenched fur that clung to my skin.

My ears perked up to the sound of something ringing. It was a very high pitched sort of ringing noise, like a single wind chime. It bounced around the trees. The sound was delicate and broken. It was afraid and calling out for help.

It was calling out to me.

“Hello?” I called out, my voice also echoing throughout the woods. The ringing became louder. My ears twitched, trying to pinpoint the direction the sound was coming from. I started looking under falling logs, behind stones and boulders. Underneath piles of leaves.

The noise became louder and louder. I came upon something familiar, something from my very distant passed. It was a tiny light resting on the ground. I began to approach cautiously until I was within arms reach. I knelt done and stared at the light, mesmerized by its glow. “Sein… is that you?” I asked and went to pick up the tiny light.

There was a distant loud thud that caused the ground to rumble. The light began to roll down the hill. I reached out to try and grab it, but it rolled just too far. “No no no come back,” I whispered loudly and started chasing after it. The glowing orb bounced off the rocks and rolled along winding tree roots, eventually slowing down very precariously infront of a crack in the ground just big enough for it to fit into. I dived towards it, scraping myself against the ground, only to push it with my figure and watch it fall down… down… down… down… into the darkness. I stood up and covered my face and screamed into the palms of my hands. “Nononono!”

“Who’ss there?” A raspy voice hissed from down below. I jumped, yankign my arm from out of the hole before peering down inside.

“O-Ori.” I stammered in response.

“Ah yes, the lost spirit. I’ve heard a great many things about you.” The s sounds in his words were long and drawn out. “I heard that you chose to stay away from the spirit tree because you cared for someone else. Naru was it? I caring motherly figure.”

“Who are you?”

“You may refer to me as Sin. I can read your heart by gazing deep into your eyes. I can sense the guilt the fills you for turning Nibel into ash. If you hadn’t stayed with Naru, if you had listened to your dear friend perhaps everyone would still be alive. Instead, the world is falling apart all around you.” There was a long pause as if he was letting the guilt sink in. “There is a way you can repair the damage, however.”

I gulped and stared down into the pit. “What do I need to do?”

There was a raspy cackle. “You need to find a key. What you are standing on right now is a door reinforced with spirit energy. If you can unlock this door. Then I will return to you the light and eyes of the spirit tree.” There was something very sinister about his voice. It made my stomach churn and my body tremble.

The was something shifting about in the darkness. It slithered up the wall and opened its two massive golden eyes.

“Do we have a deal?”


End file.
